Maiden Nikos
by cleancutegirlsff
Summary: Pyrrha Nikos has agreed to inherit the Fall Maiden's power. What does this choice and its consequences mean for Pyrrha and Jaune and the bond they have? Outdated, but an AU of what might've happened.
1. Chapter 1

I, Jaune, was sitting on my bed in the joint dorm room I shared with my team, JNPR. We were all present and accounted for... except for Pyrrha. After Yang was taken into custody, the Vytal Festival was postponed to the following day. The kingdom decided that it would be best to wait and let the situation cool before resuming the matches. I waited for Pyrrha to come out from the stadium.

 _"Hey Pyrrha! Since the fights were delayed, do you want to go to the recently-opened Megálo Athlití restaurant?"_

 _"T-Thank you Jaune but I cannot."_

 _"Oh, if you're worried about preparing for battle tomorrow don't worry. This place has really healthy food available with plenty of protein for you muscular body."_

 _"I... I am sorry Jaune but I have somewhere else to be."_

 _After that, she walked off._

Something seemed to be on her mind back then. I wonder what it was? It couldn't be?!

"Pyrrha has someone she likes?!"

"Duh!"

I heard Nora shout from the other side of the room. Did I say that last part out loud?

"You're so dense Jaune! Pyrrha has someone she's liked for some time now."

"Who is it Nora?!"

"It's- mrhmrhm."

Ren quickly covered Nora's mouth before she could finish. He replied to my query in his usual calm Ren tone.

"Please don't listen to Nora. She loves to exaggerate. I'm sure Pyrrha was just bothered after what happened with Yang and Mercury."

Ren whispered something to Nora which I didn't hear then uncovered her mouth. Nora scowled at Ren for a second before putting on her happy face again.

"Cheer up Jaune, I can assure you that Pyrrha isn't out seeing a guy."

"W-well, it's not that I-I mind if she's out with another guy. I-I was just concerned with her whereabouts. That's it."

"Sure Jaune, whatever you say."

Nora then put her headphones on. Ren came over and sat down on my bed.

"I'm going to give you some advice Jaune. Maybe you should think about which girl is on your mind more often, Pyrrha or Weiss."

Ren got up.

"I'm going to go shower. Now that I've given you my advice Jaune, please don't come in while I'm showering and ask for advice."

Nora popped her headphones off while grinning.

"Ooh, does that mean _we_ can shower together Ren? Well, not _together_ together but-"

"No, Nora. Also, no sticking your cold hands into the shower and onto my skin OR jumping on me as soon as I exit the shower."

Nora put her headphones back on.

"Spoilsport." She muttered sourly.

"She does that Ren?"

"When we were kids, she did that more times than you would believe. She also once tried to go into the bath with me, but that was when we were very young. Despite her threats, she does have some level of decorum." He glanced at Nora. "Just not very much," he finished, his voice fading as he left the room for the dorm bathhouse.

I looked askance at Nora before deciding it was better _not_ to question her about what Ren had told me. I do wonder where Pyrrha is though. A thought of Pyrrha wrapped in a towel exiting a shower flashed into my mind but I shoved it out quickly.

"She's not showering... probably... maybe I should go and look..."

"No, bad Jaune!"

Nora hit me over the head. I really have got to stop saying my thoughts aloud.

Meanwhile deep below Beacon Academy. Pyrrha exited the elevator into the hallway she had trod before—the hall that lead to the Fall Maiden. Her mind went back to that conversation with Jaune after she left the colosseum. She had made up her mind to accept the Maiden's power, come what may, but seeing Jaune had shaken her resolve. There was a risk she would not be the same person after this. She loved Jaune and did not want to lose what she had with him. Then again, what did she have with him? He was nice to her (and even wore a dress for her) but he had wanted to ask Weiss to the dance first. Even after the dance, he still pined after Weiss, especially after Neptune had gone back to his flirting ways and was not dating Weiss. How could she lose what she did not have in the first place? Jaune did not love her back. If he did, he would have responded to her hints and would not still be so stricken with Weiss. If after all that happened at the dance, he still wouldn't reciprocate her feelings. He never would.

Pyrrha reached the end of the hallway where the aura transfer device was located along with the Maiden's body. Such a hideous and immoral thing Atlas had conceived; yet, here she was and she was about to use it. Her actions were for the sake of the world and even Glynda and Ozpin were going along with the plan, so it must be alright in this one circumstance.

"We've been expecting you Pyrrha."

General Ironwood greeted her first. Ozpin spoke next.

"We know we've asked a lot of you Pyrrha. This is your last chance to change your mind. So I ask a final time, are you willing to do this?"

Pyrrha took a deep breath, steeling herself to give a response. Jaune's face appeared in her mind. She brushed the thought aside. This was for his sake too and it was the most she could offer him of herself.

"Yes, let us do it."

"Good. Now lay down in this side of the device," General Ironwood instructed. "We are going to seal the chamber then we attempt to transfer the aura. There is a flow of oxygen inside the chamber so just relax and clear your mind."

"Yes sir."

Pyrrha followed the general's instructions. Glynda closed the hatch. Though not often given to joyful expressions, she flashed a small smile at Pyrrha though the glass window of the chamber as if to reassure her. Qrow just stood back and quaffed some alcohol with a scowl on his face.

General Ironwood was at the controls flanked by Glynda and Ozpin. He read out the displays from the machine.

"Compatibility is at 85%, the minimum is 50% to do an aura transfer."

He pulled a lever and the machine started whirring.

"Aura transfer is starting. Stability is at acceptable levels."

The whirring grew louder and the chamber holding the Fall Maiden began to glow bright white. Soon it was so bright that no one could look directly at it. The chamber Pyrrha was in also started glowing.

"Instability is rising but is within acceptable levels."

The glow in Pyrrha's chamber grew brighter. Suddenly, a light on the machine control panel started blinking red and an alarm sounded urgently.

"What's happening James?!" Glynda shouted.

"Aura instability has passed the critical point!" The general yelled back, desperately hitting buttons on the panel.

"Shut it down James!" Ozpin shouted, just loud enough to be heard but still with a note of calm in his raised voice.

"I can't! At this point, it's too late to stop!"

Pyrrha's chamber glowed an intense reddish gold.

"Get her out of there _now_ James!" Glynda berated Ironwood.

"I _can't_!" He shot back.

Just then the main portion of the machine exploded sending sparks showering everywhere and knocking Ironwood, Glynda, and Ozpin to the floor. They were unharmed and immediately got up.

"I told you this would happen," Qrow slurred drunkenly.

"Silence Qrow." Ozpin replied.

"Whatever," came the slurred rebuttal.

Ironwood walked over to Pyrrha's chamber and attempted to grab hold of it before his hands shot back and he gave a pained yelp, smoke rising from his white gloves that now had black marks on them.

"Let me."

Glynda moved her riding crop and opened the chamber telekinetically. Ironwood pulled the limp form of Pyrrha out.

"Is she...?" Glynda covered her mouth in horror.

"No, she's still alive! We need to get her to a hospital!"

Four adults ran into the hospital (one staggering slightly) and Pyrrha's body was rushed into the intensive care ward.

The group waited outside the room until a nurse came out.

"She's still unconscious but we've stabilized her."

Glynda's breath escaped in a sigh of relief.

"Damn right," Qrow chimed in then took another swig of his seemingly bottomless canteen.

The nurse left them. Ozpin took out his data scroll from his pocket.

"You may all go back to your duties. I will inform Jaune Arc of the condition of his teammate and wait with Pyrrha until he arrives."

The three looked quizzically at Ozpin, but did as he said. He was uncannily insightful about these sorts of things.


	2. Chapter 2

My data scroll started ringing. I looked at the caller ID but I didn't recognize it. Still, as I told myself every time, it might be important. This has led me to answer countless telemarketers but I digress. I pick up the scroll.

"Hello?"

"Yes, hello Jaune. This is Ozpin."

"P-Professor Ozpin?!"

What could I have done to have warranted a called from the headmaster himself?

"You are not in trouble Jaune. Your team member, Pyrrha is however. I need you to come to the beacon academy hospital, B-wing, intensive care ward. I will explain the details then."

The connection went dead. I put down my data scroll. My face must have given me away as Nora took her headphones off and addressed me, strangely serious.

"Jaune, what was that about?"

"What's wrong?"

Ren walked back in the room, apparently done with his shower.

"It's Pyrrha. Professor Ozpin just called and told me she's in the hospital."

No one said anything as we digested this information. I broke the silence.

"Professor Ozpin asked me to come down to the hospital."

Nora leaped up from her bed.

"We'll come with you!"

"Yes," Ren added his agreement with Nora.

"Thank you for your concern Ren, Nora but I think Professor Ozpin would have asked for you both to accompany me if he wanted you there. For the moment, this is going to be an Arkos mission. Subteam Flower Power, I want you to stay here together."

" _Together_ , together?!" Nora shouted, enthusiastic but with a slightly shy note in her boisterous tone.

"Yes," I replied as I left. I could still hear them from outside the room.

"Mwahaha! Whatever shall we do left alone _together_ together Ren?!"

"Simple, go to sleep."

Ren must've flicked the light off as the rays illuminating the shadowed hallway vanished.

" _Awwww!_ " I guess Nora was displeased.

I ran all the way to the hospital. I tried to act calm around Ren and Nora, so as not to worry them but for the mighty and amazing Pyrrha to be in the intensive care ward something terrible must have happened. Maybe I can keep my mouth shut after all?!

"Keep your mouth shut about what Jaune? Pyrrha being in the intensive ward you mean?"

So I can't keep my mouth shut after all. Professor Ozpin had heard that last part.

"You made a good judgement Jaune. Nora and Ren will be needed to help Pyrrha recover but Nora's temperament is more suited to when Pyrrha is conscious."

"What happened?"

"Have a seat Jaune."

It was then that I noticed two chairs and a small end table next to one chair with a mug of what seemed to be coffee. Ozpin sat in that chair and I took the other.

"This was the reason I did not ask for Ren and Nora as well. What you are about to hear is for your ears only Jaune. No accidently saying it aloud as a plot device."

I didn't quite understand what that last sentence was about but I replied with full intention of secrecy."

"Yes sir."

"Have you ever heard the story of the Four Maidens?"

"Yes. My mother used to tell me fairytales at bedtime when I was a child."

"In this case Jaune, it is not a mere fairytale. It is a true story."

Professor Ozpin paused and seemed to be reading me, probing the depths of my soul with his gaze to find my reaction. He must've found what he was looking for because he continued.

"The Maidens and their power are real Jaune. Pyrrha was chosen to inherit the power of the Fall Maiden," he took a dramatic sip of his coffee and looked me in the eyes, "but something went wrong. I am not at liberty to discuss what happened, but Pyrrha blacked out and her vitals were unstable. She has been unresponsive since we took her here and she was stabilized."

"If that was all you wanted from me, to tell me what happened, you could've met me elsewhere—in your office for instance. Why did you want me here?"

Professor Ozpin seemed to smile for the briefest of moments at me, then it was gone, like the glow of a meteor burning up in the sky.

"I want you to stay with Pyrrha here. Having you here will increase her chance for recovery I think."

I was about to ask him to elaborate, but in typical mysterious fashion, he levered himself up from the chair and bid me goodnight.

I walked into Pyrrha's hospital room. Laying there on the bed, stripped of her armor and weapons, she seemed so fragile, so devoid of the strength and tenacity that was Pyrrha's hallmark. My mind went back to what Ozpin had said before. If the Four Maidens was a true story, maybe other fairytales were too. Several fairytales had a knight kissing the princess to wake her from her unconscious state. My eyes moved slowly to Pyrrha's soft lips.

" _No, bad Jaune!"_

I heard Nora's voice echo in my brain, chiding me for such a thought. She was right, I couldn't just kiss Pyrrha while she couldn't resist nor recall it later. Why did I even think about kissing Pyrrha in the first place? I liked Weiss, didn't I?

I sat down in a chair beside Pyrrha's bed.

It must have been Ozpin's talk of fairytales that were real that had put the thought of kissing Pyrrha into my head, coupled with the true desire for her to return to the invincible Nikos status that characterized her while she was awake. That must've been it; the leader exploring every option to help his teammate in a pinch. My inner discourse on this subject finished, I focused back to Pyrrha.

Why did Ozpin call me here? He had said that I could somehow increase her chances of recovery but how? What did he know that I didn't? Maybe I should hold onto her hand or something.

I clasped Pyrrha's hand and leaned on the bed. Soon, my eyes began drooping as the night wore on. I must've fallen asleep at some point, Pyrrha's hand still intertwined in my own.


	3. Chapter 3

Someone was tapping my shoulder.

"No, five more minutes Mom."

The tapping ceased replaced by shaking. I came awake with a start and noticed my hand was still gripping Pyrrha's hand. Looking up, I saw the person who was shaking me.

"Pyrrha!"

I jumped up immediately.

"Thank goodness you're alright. I was so worried that-"

"Who's Pyrrha?"

I was stunned into silence because it was Pyrrha who had said it. No! Pyrrha's got amnesia! She can't remember anything!

Did I say that aloud again? Because the Pyrrha who was not Pyrrha answered me.

"I don't have amnesia. I can remember almost everything. The last thing I remember though was being brutally attacked and half-dead. Everything is blank after that. Were you the one who saved me? Could you tell me what happened between then and now?"

"What?"

"Were you the one who saved me?"

"Uh… no."

"Then why are you here? You still haven't answered me, who is Pyrrha?"

"I'm here because my teammate Pyrrha was in an accident. You are Pyrrha. At least, that's her body unless she has a twin."

The Pyrrha who was not Pyrrha looked down at herself then recoiled in shock. She started bombarding me with questions.

"Who are you!? What did you do to me!? Why am I not in my body? You, you're in league with her aren't you!"

Pyrrha(?) got out of the hospital bed shakily and tried to walk but stumbled like she wasn't used to her body and fell face first onto the floor.

I gasped at what I saw for the hospital gown didn't leave anything from the waist down on the backside to the imagination.

"I didn't know Pyrrha had a birthmark shaped like a heart on her left cheek!"

I'd never known both because Pyrrha had never told me and because I'd never seen her derriere. Being the gentleman that I was though, I tore my eyes away from the supple flesh and helped Pyrrha(?) back onto the bed.

"You're surprisingly unembarrassed," I said to this… person.

"It's not my body."

"What do you mean? Who are you?"

Pyrrha(?) lay on the bed thinking for a few moments before finally speaking.

"You don't seem to be with _her_. You're too nice. I will tell you what I remember again. I am the Fall Maiden Amber. A woman dressed in red with a dark-skinned woman with green hair and a pale-skinned man with mechanical legs ambushed me while I was traveling. I tried to fight them off, but the woman in red shot me in the back. Then she used a Grim to suck my power from me. A man rescued me somehow. I had almost slipped into unconsciousness by that time, so I don't remember how the man who saved me looked. That and rage against the woman in red are the last things I remember until I woke up here in this room."

"So where am I now?"

"You're at the Beacon Academy hospital, in the body of my friend and teammate Pyrrha Nikos. I don't know much beyond that except that Pyrrha was in an accident. My name is Jaune Arc leader of the 1st year team JNPR."

Amber sighed.

"Beacon huh? Then I should be in good hands. Ozpin is still headmaster here correct?"

"You know Ozpin?"

"Quite well actually."

"Would you mind if I gave him a call and asked him to come down here? I think he knows more about what happened to you and to Pyrrha."

"Yes please."

Amber then settled back into the pillows of the hospital bed. I gave Ozpin a call and told him to come to the hospital. Once he arrived, I told him that Pyrrha had woken but claimed to be someone named Amber. He seemed to frown slightly at this information. He asked me to wait outside while he talked to Amber.

Eventually, Ozpin came back outside the hospital room.

"Jaune, I cannot say too much because this is a highly confidential matter. What I can divulge is as follows. Pyrrha Nikos was involved in an Aura transference accident. In the process, it seems her soul was… lost and replaced with Amber's soul."

"Is there any way you can get Pyrrha's soul back?"

My heart sank with the answer.

"I am afraid not Jaune. Pyrrha Nikos… the one that you know… is essentially dead. I take full responsibility for this tragic accident as I was the one who asked Pyrrha to get involved. I'm sorry Jaune."

I couldn't say anything for a few moments. My heart felt like it had vanished and only the shadow of a trace of it was left, enough to know and to feel the loss of it. Pyrrha was dead.

Ozpin spoke again.

"Once she has recovered, Amber will join your team and will go by the name of Pyrrha Nikos. This way we can try to keep the secret of Amber's reappearance. I will tell you that there are people out there who seek Amber's life. Help me keep her hidden Jaune. I place this task in your hands. You mustn't tell Nora or Ren the full truth."

Ozpin turned and walked away. For the first time since I had met him, he seemed old, hunched as if the weight of the world pushed down upon his shoulders.


	4. Brave New World with such a Pyrrha in It

Quick thank you to those who have spent your time to give the story a review. I can say at least one of you managed to extend the story by inspiring a new (and funny, really I promise) plot point. That said, on to the new chapter. ~Enjoy!

The nurse spoke with me before I left. It seemed it would be about a week until Amber would be released from the hospital. I went back to our room. Nora and Ren met me at the entrance with worried faces. I hadn't thought of what I would tell them, so I made up a story on the fly.

"P-Pyrrha's going to be okay physically. It seems she has lost most of her memories though. She doesn't remember me or Nora or Ren. She doesn't even remember she was on a team. She also lost some of her muscle memory, so she has to learn how to walk and perform basic tasks again. That's why she won't be released for another week."

That last part was true, though for a different reason. Amber just wasn't used to Pyrrha's body and she would have to adjust, which would take time. Even when she was released, she wouldn't be very strong and would be excused from fighting until she had retrained herself. Amber was a warrior though, so it shouldn't take long… or so Professor Goodwitch told me.

The Vytal tournament concluded, but I don't remember who won. I didn't care. Even with Nora in our company, our room was quiet and disconsolate until the day Amber was released.

She walked into the room that day and Nora ran over to her. I think she was going to hit her with a flying glomp tackle but then thought better of it and stopped at the last minute.

"Pyrrha! Welcome back to Team JNPR!"

"T-thank you. You must be Nora right?"

"Guilty as charged, ha ha!"

"So you must be Ren," Amber said as she looked at the black-haired youth.

"Correct."

"Oh, don't mind him Pyrrha, he's a man of few words but he's my best friend. We've been together for a long time."

"So he's you're boyfriend then?"

I had never seen Nora as embarrassed as she was at that moment.

"I- he- I mean- well-"

She blushed a deep crimson and would say no more, not even to suggest that she and Ren weren't "together, together" as she liked to say.

Ren came to her rescue.

"No, we're just friends Pyrrha."

Nora seemed to find her voice and seconded him.

"Y-yeah, what he said."

She hadn't stopped blushing though.

Over the next several weeks, we got to know the new "Pyrrha" all over again. Most things were different but Ren and Nora seemed to accept the new version of Pyrrha. Amber seemed to pick up on the use of Pyrrha's spear fairly quickly, though she seemed to use it more as a quarter staff and thrust weapon than a throwing weapon. The shield wasn't hard either and I helped her with that. Soon she was cleared for battle. It took some time and many practice matches for her to pick up on the use of the gun, but she got it eventually. Time passed without incident… for a little while at least.


	5. Chapter 5: Holy Donuts!

This morning started out like any other morning. As per my custom, I went to go practice with Pyrrha before school started—only now the real Pyrrha… was gone and Amber was in her place. Now I had become the teacher, helping Amber to gain greater mastery over Pyrrha's weapons. We had of course explained that she had hit her head in an incident outside of the Vytal Tournament and that she had some minor amnesia, it was a good lie because it had a little seed of truth to it. This gave Amber a good excuse to become acquainted with her new weaponry and helped explain the minor incidences of "forgetting" a classmate. I had tried to educate Amber on the most important facts about Pyrrha, at least the ones that I knew. The upper administration of Beacon helped to provide some of the Nikos familial background.

My recollections ended as we reached the rooftop.

"Are you ready… Pyrrha?"

Even now, when we were seemingly alone, I still had trouble calling her Pyrrha.

"Yes, Jaune." Amber readied her spear and raised her shield.

I too, took my stance.

"3… 2… 1… start!"

With that, we began our mock battle.

Soon enough, we were both sweating with exertion. After a time, we stopped. I pointed out the areas that she was lacking in, as best I could. I watched her practice for a while longer, then went back inside the dorm with Amber at my side. We showered, or at least I did. Pyrrha went into the ladies room, but I didn't follow to confirm if she had, indeed, showered, so I couldn't say for sure. Ren and Nora joined us and together Team JNPR went to class.

Classes were okay until the final period, Professor Port. The man has the kind of voice that puts a person to sleep. He should read children's bedtime stories over the airwaves. Parents wouldn't have to struggle to get their kids to go to bed. They would topple over quite soon from the Professor's drawl.

As I roused myself from the dazed state I was in at the sound of the bell, I noticed that Amber and Nora had joined the girls of Team RWBY.

"Hey, where are you all going?"

"We're going to a new café that opened recently," Ruby, the team leader, replied in her chipper voice.

"They're said to have the BEST chongyang in all of Vale!" I could practically see saliva dripping from Yang's mouth as her eyes sparkled.

"They apparently also have good ice cream, or so I've been told. I intend to try several varieties to compare how they taste to Atlas' top ice cream lines. Everyone knows that Atlas makes the best ice cream of all the Kingdoms."

 _Is that why everyone from Atlas is so cold?_ I wondered to myself, or so I thought. I must have spoken it allowed yet again.

"Silence, plebian," Weiss used a glyph to send me flying across the room.

I got up and bowed in jest.

"Your wish is my command, Ice Queen."

Weiss turned her head and her cheeks reddened in a blush.

Blake just stared at me, her gaze seeming to bore into me and brush around me in boredom at the same time. Must be a faunus thing. I made sure not to say that last part aloud.

"So yeah Jaune, we're going there on a girl's afternoon! Didn't I tell you and Ren?!" Nora sometimes lacked volume control.

Ren walked over to me.

"She told me, I guess she forgot to tell you."

"Bye Jaune! See you at dinner."

I looked up as I heard Amber call to me. I waved back.

"Hey Ren, you doing anything?"

"Enjoying the few hours of peace and solitude that Nora's absence brings."

"Well, we're going to follow them."

"Why?"

"Don't you want to know what they're saying about us while we're not around?"

"No."

"…"

I dragged Ren of with me. He started walking on his own when he realized how insistent I was.

Ren and I stopped and got some disguises from some old man's store—have I seen him before?—then followed the girls to the café. We entered after about a minute had passed.

We walked inside the doors just in time to hear Amber make her order.

"A raspberry chocolate donut and a triple Kanaediin maple with a moyen vanilla chai tea please."

Team RWBY looked shocked. Nora was so startled that she had no words, terrifying indeed. Ren and I were also surprised, he because he was quite hard to surprise after living with Nora, and I because I knew that this was actually Amber and not Pyrrha.

Pyrrha _hated_ donuts. Amber apparently liked them.

She didn't notice how the other girls were staring at her and beckoned them over to an open table.

They all sat down.

Ren and I found a nearby booth after ordering our food. I didn't want to break in here. I would be patient. Even if Amber liked donuts, she was now in Pyrrha's body with Pyrrha's taste buds. She'd spit the donut out and it could be explained as a minor memory lapse. I was confident of this. I knew Pyrrha. A donut in her mouth, would be like barium in water.

The food and beverages came to the girl's table.

Ruby had an extra, extra large chocolate chip cookie with a chocolate mocha, Yang had… well it must have been that chongyang thing she was talking about as well as a cup of green tea. Weiss received several small scoops of ice cream in different dishes as well as an affogato, Blake just had a plain toasted bagel with salmon cream cheese and a latte. Nora got a huge square tower of ice cream cake with a vanilla bean mocha (I guess she needed to refill her sugar tank). Finally, Amber received her donuts and tea. I watched her expectantly as she raised a donut to her mouth. Time seemed to slow as she bit into the sweet, frosted fare.

Amber's face light up in a smile.

"Mm, I love donuts."

Nora fell off her chair and toppled the ice cream cake onto her head. Ruby's eye went wide as her cookie and Weiss fainted, out cold. Blake sprayed her latte all over Weiss' prone head in shock as Yang jumped from her seat yelling "WHAT!" at the top of her lungs. I tried to jump up from my chair to swat the donut from Amber but I tripped over my chair and fell on the floor, my disguise coming off. Ren just sipped his green tea when it arrived.

Hell should have been unleashed, but it wasn't. Amber sat with her eyes closed in donut-induced bliss, ignorant to the amount of trouble she had caused.

How am I going to explain this?

Author's comments

I hope you enjoy this silly, little episode that lightens the mood a bit from the previous chapters. So, what are your favorite donut flavors/varieties? If you haven't been to Tim Hortons®, I suggest you go there. They have the best donuts.


	6. Chapter 6: The Field Day

This morning, I was training with Amber again. We hadn't been practicing for long when a voice resonated from the emergency announcement system installed throughout the Beacon Academy buildings. I was stunned by what I heard next.

"Attention all of Beacon! Hear my proclamation, I am Cardin Winchester, Headmaster of Beacon Academy and your only ruler! Team CDNL is now in control of the administration building of Beacon. If anyone dares to resist my supreme authority, they shall know the devastating power of Team Cardinal. Yes, from this day—from this moment—forward this academy belongs to me! Cardin Winchester commands you, obey me Beacon, obey me Vale!"

The rest of Team CDRL started chanting.

"All hail Cardin, all hail Cardin!"

I heard what sounded like a large crash then a thundering voice spoke.

CARDIN WINCHESTER!

"W-who are you?"

He sounded scared.

"DO YOU NOT RECOGNIZE ME?! I AM VELVET SCARLATINA!"

"H-h-how? You-you look like a demon!"

"MY SEMBLENCE IS FURY! THAT IS WHY I ALLOWED YOU TO BULLY ME! I COLLECTED ALL THAT FURY AND STORED IT AS ENERGY FOR MY WEAPON! NOW IT HAS BEEN UNLEASHED UPON YOU! I WILL NEVER LET YOU BE HEADMASTER!"

I heard Cardin squeal in a high-pitched voice; the rest of Team CDL screamed along with him then the feed went silent. Suddenly, I saw a body fly from Ozpin's office, shattering the glass. The body, presumably Cardin, did not arc at all, at least it did not appear so. It flew straight and true. If Cardin fell to ground or was launched into outer space, I don't know. I'm going to make a mental note never to anger Velvet. She was such a sweet girl, but I'm glad I've never seen her Fury Semblance. No wonder she likes Yatsuhashi, he never seems to get too angry.

Well with that little incident over, Amber and I finished up our training and showered. We had this morning off due to the field day that we were having tomorrow. Nora had already dragged Ren off for some "quality time, alone, where no one can see our passionate exchanges," as she put it. Ren had a bored expression on his face as if he was used to this. The guy is like a robot sometimes. So Amber and I had the room to ourselves.

She sat on Pyrrha's bed brushing Pyrrha's lovely, red hair that glistened like almandine garnets. Her eyes were focused downward as she brushed as if she were pondering some unknown thought. I could still see Pyrrha's eyes though. If her hair was like almandine garnets, then her eyes were surely two demantoid garnets. They were beautiful and more precious than diamonds, or they would be if it was really Pyrrha behind those eyes and not Amber. I mean, Amber is nice enough, but she's not Pyrrha Nikos. Even if she was in procession of Pyrrha's lovely body with its gentle curves and toned muscles, I wasn't attracted to her. She could be in a swimming suit and I wouldn't notice her sensuosity like I would if she was the real Pyrrha. My heart started racing as I pictured Pyrrha—the real one—in her plain, matte, aquamarine color one-piece swimsuit. Gorgeous, stunning, striking, magnificent, exquisite, no one word could describe her.

Amber had apparently left at some point and I was alone in the dorm room. As I laid back on the bed, my mind turned back to something Ren had told me. "Maybe you should think about which girl is on your mind more often, Pyrrha or Weiss." I knew who was on my mind more often. Pyrrha was. Even now that she's gone, I still think about her often. If only I had realized sooner who I loved. Maybe I couldn't have saved Pyrrha, but I could have had a chance to confess my true feelings for her before she left with Ozpin to inherit the power of a Maiden. If only I hadn't been so blind. If only… if only….

I rolled onto my side, facing the wall and began to weep bitterly. It was too late. Pyrrha Nikos was dead. Amber had replaced her. I knew why I wasn't comfortable with calling Amber by Pyrrha's name. It didn't belong to her. She wasn't at fault, but I could never be a real friend with someone who was playing at being Pyrrha Nikos. I closed my eyes and soon, darkness enveloped my mind.


	7. Epilogue

Epilogue

Someone was tapping my shoulder.

"No, five more minutes Mom."

The tapping ceased replaced by shaking. I came awake with a start and noticed my hand was gripping Pyrrha's hand. Looking up, I saw the person who was shaking me.

"Pyrrha!"

I jumped up immediately.

"Oh… sorry. I-I mean Amber."

"Amber? Jaune, what are you talking about?"

"Huh, but… but, Amber, you… you took over Pyrrha's body and Pyrrha was gone and I was so upset?!"

"Slow down Jaune. I'm Pyrrha and I'm fine. Just a bit tired."

My eyes started watering.

"Pyrrha, it's really you isn't it?!"

She smiled at me.

"Yes, of course."

I had been granted another chance. I wasn't wasting it this time.

"Pyrrha, I love you."

I confessed my love while gazing into Pyrrha's demantoid-colored eyes.

"J-Jaune?"

I pressed my lips to her forehead then nuzzled her neck.

"I love you too Jaune. I have for a while now."

A single teardrop rolled down her cheek.

We stayed as we were, skin touching, immersed in each other's aura, for some time. I don't know how long exactly.

I finally spoke.

"So you don't have a heart shaped birthmark on your butt."

Pyrrha flushed crimson, a rarity indeed.

H-How did you know about that Jaune?!

"Wait you do!?"

Ozpin stood outside in front of the monument centered in the Beacon Academy courtyard. As he looked at the statue he spoke, seemingly to himself.

"You have a very special aura Jaune—an aura that is powerful enough to extend to those you hold dear to act as a shield of protection and convalescence. With such an aura, you will be an excellent companion of the new Fall Maiden, much like your grandfather was to a previous Fall Maiden: your grandmother."

Ozpin continued looking at the statue of a Fall Maiden and her companion valiantly fighting off Grim and the faintest traces of a smile appeared on his face.

THE END


End file.
